Lots of people think that braising is too difficult for them to tackle, but it’s actually one of the most foolproof methods of cooking. And it also happens to be super easy. You never have to worry about nailing correct “doneness,” because time, liquid and a low-and-slow oven do all the work for you.

There are so many questions to think about when braising your favorite meats: to brown or not to brown? To cover or not to cover? To strain or not to strain? There are about six major steps to braising that can’t be skipped — the rest is just flair.

Check out this video. It brings you through the basic framework of a braise so that you can get creative with developing your own flavors.